Literature Class
by Jupal
Summary: Mal discovers Natara's talent for writing in their second year of junior high school. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Cause of Death and its affliated characters. I also do not own the poem by Koushun Takami.**

**xxxx xxxxx**

"First up, Malachi Fallon."

The above-mentioned fourteen-year-old boy in his second year of junior high school raised up his hands with a cheer and waved at the rest of Class 2B.

_Not only am I popular, my poem is also read first! That has to mean something,_ he thought, grinning smugly.

Miss Yates, their Literature teacher, had instructed the class to do a poem on any theme they wished at the start of the year. Now she was going to read some of the 'best ones' aloud before returning her pupils their work. Mal, having already developed an interest in rock ("It's an acquired taste," he told a good friend once), had written some of his very own rock songs. During the 'production process', there were some lyric fragments he could not quite make into songs. These lyric fragments were made into his poem.

He was confident. After all, he had a talent for writing songs. Most of the girls seemed to admire him anyway.

After reading his poem, Miss Yates read three more poems before she announced something different.

"Last but not least, Natara Mansingh. This is my favourite piece." She smiled at Natara, who was sitting a few rows away from Mal.

_And so a girl beat me at writing?_ Mal felt a slight tinge of jealousy as he turned his head towards Natara Mansingh, the rich daddy's girl of their class. It was common knowledge that Raj Mansingh was 'filthy rich!' and thus Natara seemed aloof at times (although she never meant to be 'aloof'). Perhaps this formed the stereotype of the 'rich daddy's girl'.

Shoulder-length hair the colour of coffee framed her face. She had a piercing pair of emerald eyes ("Pretty," thought Mal) which seemed to appear kind most of the time. Petite and playful, she was like most other girls of Class 2B. Maybe writing was her forte. Mal must admit, he had never really noticed Natara before today.

_I bet she writes great compositions too._

Miss Yates took a deep breath and read Natara's poem aloud.

_If I could have my way, I would fashion a tale__  
><em>_I would fashion a tale about everything surrounding me__  
><em>_The flowers on the trees, the crybaby dog next door,__  
><em>_the wind chime I bought before, the sea from that one day,__  
><em>_the man I spoke with at the book shop,__  
><em>_If I could, I would fashion a tale about it all__  
><em>_Yes, that's what I think__  
><em>_And if everyone would protect that tale__  
><em>_The world would be always at peace._

Despite not having much of a soft side, Mal smiled. It was so simple, it was beautiful.

It was that sort of poem.

_I'm going to speak to Natara after class._

**xxxxx**

Natara Mansingh sensed _his_ presence by her table. Quickly arranging her face and composing her thoughts, she looked up from her novel.

True enough, it was Malachi Fallon, the star baseball shortstop and basketball player standing next to her. This was the first time he had personally approached her. Eyes the colour of the night sky stared into her own green eyes.

"Mind giving me tips on writing? I enjoyed your poem," he murmured in a deep voice.

_So he noticed me only because of that poem. Huh._ Nevertheless, Natara made her face appear kind.

"Hmm… Don't take writing too seriously. Just write whatever comes to your mind. Don't go too heavy on the rock. Miss Yates doesn't like rock."

That last sentence stung Mal. "How do you know?"

"I can tell," she said simply.

"Well, well. You make it sound so easy. What did you think of my poem, then?" Mal scratched the back of his neck. He had always worried about receiving negative feedback for his 'decadent music', as a distant relative told him once.

"Nice, but it's not my type," Natara responded coolly.

"Perhaps I can perform for you one day. You know, one of my own songs…" Mal trailed off.

"And what, may I ask, do you want to achieve from that?" Natara sensed Mal wanted something from her in return for his 'performance'.

"Your feedback, and… uh… your other poems and compositions!" Mal blurted.

_He just wants to talk to me about literature? Can't he do more than that? Euh! He's going to pay!_

Here Natara decided she would try something funny. She made her eyes appear hard and stood up from her desk. She glared at Mal, paying close attention to his eyes. If looks could kill, her glare would have.

_Blue, like the ocean. Wow._ She hastily brushed that thought off.

"So… you talked to me just for the things I write?" she rasped, feigning anger, as she stepped slowly towards a frozen Mal. "After you're done with me, you're going to impress all the other girls and forget about me?"

Mal lunged back, absolutely horrified. _Why the sudden personality change?_ It was unexpected. "Whoa, whoa! No! Why would you think that?"

Natara then relaxed and smiled a little. "I was kidding! Now fix a date with me, and we can work together!"

In the end, they arranged to meet each other in the music room after school. As Mal hurried out of the classroom lest Natara went all scary on him again, the latter thought: _How very charming indeed. Well, maybe he's not as bad as I thought._

And so both Malachi Fallon and Natara Mansingh went through the rest of the school day, looking forward to their 'jam session' together.

**xxxxx xxxxx**

**Next chapter will be the meeting itself!**

**I appreciate your reviews... if I get any, that is. Still, thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone, I'm back with the second chapter! Thank you for all your reviews so far. I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter too.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Cause of Death and its affiliated characters. Also, I do not own the song Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen.**

**xxxxx xxxxx**

Natara Mansingh spent a full ten minutes looking for the music room. When she finally found it, she apprehensively opened the door to find Mal already sitting on the floor in the centre of the room playing his electric guitar.

Mal stopped strumming on this guitar and looked up. "I never knew you were such a slob," he commented drily. "I thought you would arrive earlier than me. How disappointing! Oh yes, can I call you Nat?"

More than the horror she might have felt for being late, Natara felt dismayed. How could Mal put her down like this?

"I couldn't find the music room just now… Don't judge me!" She narrowed her eyes at a smirking Mal. "And that will be Natara for you, thank you very much." She walked over and sat down by his side.

"Oh, okay. Feel free to call me Mal though."

The pair slipped into a somewhat comfortable silence, scrutinizing the other. Natara had been too distracted by Mal's eyes earlier that day, she only just begun noticing his lightly tousled bronze hair, which seemed slightly too long; it ended below the nape of his neck. He also had a masculine square jaw too.

Suddenly she realized she had to resist a very disturbing urge to run her hand through his hair and down his face. She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, then blurted, "Isn't your hair a tad bit too long for school?"

"It's the trend among us rockers now," Mal grinned. "Miss Yates may not like rock, but our discipline master sure does!"

Natara's eyes widened. "How do you know?"

"Oh, he summoned me to his office one fine Monday morning because he received a complaint that I hadn't been handing in my math homework. I opened the door to find rock music blasting out of the stereo sound system and him 'dancing'. Man, he was so upset when I found out! I managed gto stop myself from threatening to blackmail him. In the end, we made a pact. If he lets me keep my long untrimmed hair, I won't sell him out –"

"You just did," Natara remarked in the same dry tone Mal had used on her earlier. _Comeback time!_

"Oops, my bad." Mal feigned shock.

"That's okay, your secret's safe with me." Natara grinned.

"Speaking of rock, it's time I started performing for you." Mal picked up his electric guitar, which had been lying slack on the floor throughout the pair's exchange. "When I got this guitar from my dad, it came with a funny label." He pointed to an orange sticker stuck crudely on the guitar. The text read 'No Playing of Decadent Music'. "He never told me how it came about.

"You've never listened to rock, have you?"

"No… Dad told me it was rough music girls shouldn't be listening to." Natara shook her head.

"I'll prove your dad wrong! The song I'm going to play may not be my creation, but it's great nevertheless. Underneath the rough edges of the rock instrumental lie the meaningful lyrics." He smiled at Natara and got ready to play.

"Now presenting… 'Born to Run' by Bruce Springsteen."

Natara paid extra attention to the song, and found she liked it very, very much; more than she initially thought she would. The last verse struck her as the most impressive:

_Together Wendy we'll live with the sadness.__  
><em>_I'll love you with all the madness in my soul.__  
><em>_Someday girl I don't know when__  
><em>_we're gonna get to that place.__  
><em>_Where we really want to go__  
><em>_and we'll walk in the sun.__  
><em>_But till then tramps like us__  
><em>_baby we were born to run._

Not only that, she also liked how Mal looked when he the song. He seemed he was in an entirely different world - his world. He definitely had the passion for rock.

When the last note of the song faded into oblivion, Mal turned around and looked up at Natara's face, now within kissing distance. They had been sitting so close together, it was no surprise something as awkward as this would happen. Blue eyes met green ones…

"Did you enjoy it?" he whispered.

"Why yes, I did," she breathed.

The door to the music room burst open and in the doorway stood a fellow classmate, Ken Greene. He did not have hair as long as Mal's ("It doesn't suit me," Ken had told him before) but he had the aura of a 'rocker', indeed. His slightly stubbled face reminded Natara of a punk sideshow attraction at a carnival. _Wow, facial hair, everyone! Doesn't he look kind of old for a junior high school student?_

"Mal, you're needed for – What in Hades is happening here?" _Is Mal going out with someone? Why didn't he tell me? Wait, is that Natara Mansingh? Damn damn damn I'm confused now!_

Natara hurriedly stood up, straightened herself and retrieved her backpack from the floor. She reached into it and held up a black notebook. She hurled it at Mal.

"Mal, this is the book of poems and compositions you asked for. Enjoy." She rushed past Ken out into the corridor, wondering what would have happened if he had not arrived.

**xxxxx**

"You like her, don't you? To think I thought she wouldn't be your type!"

Ken was now occupied with trying to get a confession out of Mal, who was in a state of denial.

"It's just homework help! I offered to perform for her if she would loan me that black notebook…" This would have been true, if not for the fact that Mal also wanted to get to know Natara better.

"Sing any songs for her yet?"

"It's just Born to Run, Ken! You know I perform that so damn often!"

"This is a rather intimate setting for a performance though, don't you think? Mal, you usually sing in front of a group of spazzing fangirls! What happened today?" Mal vehemently shook his head.

After a while, though, Ken gave up. "You two might make a nice couple! If you ever want to ask Natara out, I'm your man!" He left. Mal stared at his disappearing body, his mouth agape.

_Couple?_

Now alone in the music room, Mal opened the notebook and started reading the poems and compositions, all the while reconsidering what he really felt about Natara Mansingh.

**xxxxx xxxxx**

**I couldn't help but include Ken in this story. It seemed like he would be the only guy other than Mal who (looked like he) could appreciate rock. Eh, did Mal start up a rock or grunge band in college?**

**Next chapter will contain short pieces of interaction between Mal and Natara after this meeting.**

**Your reviews are always welcome! Mm.**

**Also, I may post up a Blaise & Mal and/or Natara and Oscar (Santara) oneshot on Good Friday! I've managed to free up some time for writing.**

**Once again, thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**This is the third and final chapter of Literature Class. It's not in continuous prose, but I did say it was bits and pieces of interaction, yes?**

**Review replies:**

**Molly (mozzi-girl) - Thank you! I don't think I do as well as other writers though... Hee.  
>Karen (MaltaraFluff647) - Aww, it's okay, and thanks! Well, I don't know about that... I started playing CoD really late. No wonder I've been seeing jokes about a 'choir boy' around! Well, here's your update.<strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own Cause of Death and its affiliated characters.**

**xxxxx xxxxx**

The next morning, Natara walked into the classroom and was surprised by the sight of Mal dozing by his desk. There was nobody else.

Usually, she was the first one in Class 2B to reach school. Now this was an unexpected change.

_Huh, sleepyhead! Why didn't you stay in your cosy bed at home a bit longer? Isn't it more comfortable there? Anyway, now's a good time to apologise to you for yesterday!_

She knelt down by his side and gently shook his shoulder. Considering how she had a certain degree of strength most other girls did not possess, this shake was not gentle at all.

"Five more minutes, mum," a low voice rumbled.

"I'm not your mum," Natara growled and shook him even harder.

"Then who are you– Aaah!" Mal jerked up and yelped. "Natara Mansingh! What are you doing, waking me up? I treasure my sleep, you know!"

"And what are you doing yelling at me early in the morning? I'm just wondering why you're so early today, and… uh…" Natara began to sound unsure of herself. "I… I just wanted to apologise for what happened yesterday. I… don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have run out on you like that…" A blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Oh, I came early in the hopes of catching you early enough to talk. Looks like I dozed off though," Mal scratched the back of his neck. "If Ken hadn't come, we could have spent more time together."

Natara raised an eyebrow. "So you want to ask me out?"

"Presumptuous! But if you want, I don't mind too." Mal snickered. He reached under his table and held up Natara's black notebook. "I spent the whole of last night reading this. I… I love your work."

There was a pause as the pair shifted their eyes everywhere, refusing to look at each other.

_What did I just say? That's too much! What if she over thinks it? I have a reputation to uphold!_ Mal started wishing he could rephrase what he just said earlier. It was too late though.

_Do I just say thank you? Or does he expect something more? _Suspicious as before, Natara had no idea if Mal had an ulterior motive. _Wait, is he… flirting with me?_

"Well, thanks," Natara finally managed.

"No problem. I'll show you my own notebook someday."

This was how Mal got to know Natara. He would spend break periods writing lyrics for his songs in the margins of his notebooks, and she would insist on reading them.

**xxxxx**

"Staying back for break?" Natara leant over Mal's shoulder, watching him scribble in the margins of his notebook as he always did. Again, there was nobody else in the classroom.

"I'm not hungry." Mal glanced at Natara for a moment before resuming scribbling his ideas.

"Liar. I'm sure you won't resist this." Natara offered him something wrapped in crisp cellophane. The bag was filled with light-brown discs – cookies. On top was a bow tied with a gold ribbon. For some reason she became flustered and said, "They're leftovers from the ones my sister begged me to bake. They're best fresh, so I brought them… just for you."

Mal stopped writing, took a cookie from the bag still in Natara's hand and examined it. Then he looked over at her.

"So they lose their flavor?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Which means you're sure they taste pretty good." Mal might have learnt this form of sarcasm from Ken. He often used it lately to the dismay of other classmates.

"I'll ignore your last comment. Now eat up," Natara said coolly.

Mal grinned and ate the rest of his cookie. The warm, sweet taste and smell spread through his mouth. "These are good."

"Don't let them lose their flavor." Natara turned and walked out of the classroom, with Mal staring after her.

**xxxxx**

During one break when Mal actually went out of the classroom to hang out with Ken and their other friends, someone placed an anonymous love letter under his desk. This 'someone' was fortunate no one had caught her doing so. The moment she did it, making sure it did not appear too obvious, she snuck out of the classroom trembling with fear and excitement.

Mal returned to the classroom and found this love letter written on light blue stationery. This was not the first love letter the star shortstop, basketball player and most recently self-proclaimed (and sometimes other-proclaimed) rock star of his junior high school had received, but it made enough of an impression on Mal for him to hold on to it. There was a poetic quality to the letter that touched him.

_Even if it's a lie, even if it's a dream, please turn to me. Your smile on a certain day isn't a lie, it's not a dream. But having it turn to me might be my lie, my dream. But the day you call my name, it won't be a lie, it won't be a dream._

_It's never been a lie, it's never been a dream that I love you._

Had Natara sent that letter? He remembered observing how the writing resembled hers, and how the poetic style seemed similar too. So then…

He decided to give it just a little more time.

**xxxxx**

_Today is the day I'm going to ask her out. And it'll be for real._

Mal was going to meet Natara at the neighbourhood park and finish an assignment with her ("Study three types of trees? They've got to be joking!"). Having already figured out his feelings for her, he thought it would be the perfect time for them to sit down on a bench, have a nice chat… and then he would confess to her.

The previous few times he attempted such confessions, he always backed out at the last moment. What he really wanted to say would be changed into a simple compliment or an irrelevant question. Mal never got to say what he truly felt on these occasions.

_Well, I'll do it this time. Yessiree._

At the park, Mal and Natara spent an hour drawing trees together ("Funny way to spend time, don't you think?" Mal thought darkly to himself) before they settled down on a bench with their completed drawings.

_This is going according to plan. Now I can just praise her on her drawings and then do it._

"Natara, your drawings are great!"

"Thank you!" She grinned.

"Well, I… I…"

_Come on, Malachi Fallon!_ But Mal panicked again and changed what he wanted to say, much to his chagrin.

"Can you grade my drawings?"

Deep inside, Mal felt like smacking himself. _I can't even confess to a girl I like!_

**xxxxx**

One year had passed since Mal and Natara first met and they were placed in the same class for the second year running. Members of Class 3B were not known for their subtlety in speech. Before one could say "Ah hell", over half the class were dating their fellow classmates; the boys had directly asked the girls out. It seemed as simple as that.

Mal knew he would make sure the day he finally admitted his feelings to Natara was the 'best moment of their lives', but he did not know how to go about it. Also, the peer pressure was getting to him.

_It's time I played my guitar. I haven't touched it in a long time._ Mal had been so busy thinking about what he could do to get Natara to go out with him, he had not thought of his favourite rock music for some time.

And then he had a brainwave.

One fine April afternoon after class, Mal invited Natara to meet him in the music room like they did slightly over a year ago. Before that, he told Ken of his plan.

"Go for it! I'll make sure no one comes and interrupts you." Ken had cheered Mal on. This greatly encouraged him.

Once the pair was settled comfortably next to each other, Mal smiled his charming smile (he only showed it to Natara, but no one noticed).

"Do you remember the first song you heard me play?"

"Why yes," Natara replied warmly. "Born to Die by Bruce Springsteen."

"I… I'll like to play that for you again."

The way Mal sang the song was just as good as the last time, if not better. However, there seemed to be something off with the lyrics. Natara only noticed it when Mal reached the last verse.

_Together Natara we'll live with the sadness.__  
><em>_I'll love you with all the madness in my soul.__  
><em>_Someday girl I don't know when__  
><em>_we're gonna get to that place.__  
><em>_Where we really want to go__  
><em>_and we'll walk in the sun.__  
><em>_But till then tramps like us__  
><em>_baby we were born to run._

"I know this isn't the most appropriate song to sing, judging how we don't have to run anywhere… but I was just wondering…" Mal took a deep breath. "Natara Mansingh, will you become my girlfriend?"

Before Mal could object, Natara leant over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Nat." Her mouth was soft beneath his.

**xxxxx xxxxx**

**So here ends my first fully-fledged story with just three chapters. I enjoyed writing this piece, but I'm ready to move on, I guess. Hm, did this piece seem rushed?**

**Now, I want to say something about my ideas for future stories. **

**Regarding the Santara one I talked about at one point of time, I realised I couldn't do it because I don't have too much information about the relationship. (I started playing from Vol 7 ch 4, and that's when they 'split'! Huh.) It was supposed to be based off Raise Your Weapon by deadmau5. Give it a listen! (I also considered writing it based on The Pity Scene by Lights, but I think it would end up subpar.)**

**Sometime next week I'll publish an Amy oneshot. We all know she's on the road to recovery now, so this piece might be overdue, but I just want to express my take on her behaviour after Ken's death. Touchy subject, yes, but is it worth writing about? Definitely.**

**Come May, I'll publish the first chapter of a new story. It's crazy and very... fantasy-like and it might not even make sense at all. Basically Mal gets trapped in the Great 8-Bit Land, which, uh... I'll tell you another time. Call me silly, but deep down, I'm still a kid!**

**Long author note there! Ack, it screws up my word count. Anyhow, reviews are always appreciated, and I'll see you around soon!**


End file.
